It's letter I of Alphabetti, an A-Z of Twisted pastas. And as there aren't any pasta shapes or dishes beginning with I we've gone for Insalata (salad, in Italian). And we all know that the mother of all salads is a Caesar. This one is packed with pasta to make it the ultimate picnic, pot luck or quick lunch dish. The dressing is really special, made with cashews and a bunch of other delicious seasonings.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Drain the cashews then add to a high powered blender with the rest of the ingredients for the dressing. Blend until completely smooth and adjust seasonings to taste.
Tear the mushrooms into bitesize pieces then drizzle with oil, season and place into the oven to roast for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile cook the pasta in heavily salted water according to packet instructions. You don't want it to be al dente as rinsing it will stop the cooking and leave the pasta firmer.
Once cooked, drain and rinse in cool water.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium low heat. Add the panko breadcrumbs and a pinch of salt and mix to coat the crumbs in the oil. Toast, stirring frequently, until the breadcrumbs are amber.
Add the cooked pasta, dressing, lettuce and roasted mushrooms (leaving a few to garnish) into a large mixing bowl and mix to coat in the dressing.
Serve topped with more mushrooms, the breadcrumbs and some vegan parmesan or cashews blitzed to a fine crumb (a really nice parm alternative) and enjoy!!
